The protection alliance itself reviews this in a press launch on Wednesday.
Stoltenberg praises his successor and calls him “a real transatlantic, robust chief and consensus builder”.
Photograph: screenshot from X
Mark Rutte has been talked about as Stoltenberg’s successor, nearly each time Stoltenberg thought his time as NATO chief was coming to an finish.
Jens Stoltenberg – the second longest in NATO
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Jens Stoltenberg is already the second longest serving Secretary Normal in NATO’s 74 yr historical past.
Many of the predecessors have accomplished the four-year interval for which they had been initially appointed.
Solely Dutchman Joseph Luns will probably be chief government longer than Stoltenberg when he steps down. Luns dominated the protection alliance between 1971 and 1984.
The final two secretaries-general earlier than Stoltenberg, the Dutchman Jaap De Hoop Scheffer and Anders Fogh Rasmussen from Denmark, served for 5 years.
Jens Stoltenberg took workplace as NATO chief on 1 October 2014. His time period expired in autumn 2018, however has since been prolonged 4 occasions.
Already in 2017, Stoltenberg was requested if he would take into account extending his time period by two years, till autumn 2020. He agreed.
Within the spring of 2019, the query got here up once more: This time may he sit for an additional two years, till 1 October 2022. This time, too, he agreed.
Somewhat over half a yr earlier than he was on account of return residence to Oslo and beneath the care of the central financial institution governor, Russia went on a full scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine. And the query got here once more:
May he keep within the boss’s chair a bit longer? Stoltenberg resigned from his job at Norges Financial institution and remained in Brussels.
The ultimate date was set to 30 September 2023.
Many, together with the American president, needed Stoltenberg to stay within the put up of secretary common for an additional two years. It was due to France that he completed with one.
It’s well-known in diplomatic circles that the French and the French president usually are not as enthusiastic in regards to the former prime minister of Norway as, for instance, the American one.
It turned out that the NATO international locations had been having difficulties discovering a successor and Stoltenberg was requested if he may handle the NATO ship for another yr.
He stated no, with the message that he needed to go residence to Norway.
However when the President of the US Joe Biden, through the assembly within the White Home in the summertime of 2023, urgently requested him to remain in his place, Stoltenberg refused.
The brand new deadline is 30 September 2024.
However Rutte stated for a very long time that he most well-liked Dutch politics.
He’s a political veteran who will now lead the world’s largest protection alliance.
Within the autumn of 2022, the liberal-conservative politician turned the longest-serving prime minister of the Netherlands, with 12 years.
When the fourth coalition authorities collapsed final summer time over disagreements over immigration, he shocked him by saying “sufficient is sufficient”. And he added that if somebody needed him as NATO chief, he would run.
Rutte himself stated that he would in all probability find yourself with a girl.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre writes to NRK that Rutte’s lengthy political expertise will probably be necessary sooner or later.
The skilled Dutch prime minister is taken into account one of the crucial accessible heads of presidency, each within the EU and NATO.
Photograph: Johanna Geron / Reuters
Behind closed doorways
There isn’t a formal course of when the protection alliance chooses a secretary common, besides that the secretary common historically comes from Europe, and the army commander comes from the US.
The formal nomination takes place within the NATO council, by the everlasting ambassadors of the protection Alliance.
In any other case, most of it occurs behind closed doorways. By way of talks between the ambassadors, overseas ministers, protection ministers and heads of presidency.
An settlement was anticipated to be reached earlier than Easter. So through the assembly of NATO overseas ministers on the finish of Could. So through the assembly of NATO Protection Ministers this week.
The clock is ticking quick in direction of the large summit in Washington DC in the beginning of July, the place NATO’s seventy fifth anniversary will probably be celebrated.
It doesn’t look good to attract consideration to the slogan of the protection alliance “one for all and all for one” if the identical alliance is unable to agree on a brand new commander.
All of those should agree earlier than a brand new NATO chief is appointed. Right here from the earlier NATO summit in Vilnius final July.
Photograph: Andrew Carallero-Reynolds / AP
However the place there have been initially 12 member states that needed to agree on one title – or one man – there at the moment are 32 international locations.
The 32 member states of NATO
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Since its inception in 1949:
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- France
- Island
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Portugal
- Nice Britain
- United States of America
Since 1952:
Since 1955:
Since 1982:
Since 1990:
- Germany (East Germany and West Germany turned one nation)
Since 1999:
Since 2004:
- Bulgaria
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
Since 2009:
From 2017:
From 2020:
From 2023:
From 2024:
When Stoltenberg was requested final yr to take one other yr – his fourth extension – it’s stated that the rationale was an absence of settlement on the successor.
“The large 4” agree within the again room
In February, Nice Britain, France, Germany and the US walked out of the talks and stated they stood behind the Dutchman as the brand new NATO chief.
Rutte is the fourth Dutch Secretary Normal in NATO’s 75-year historical past.
Not everybody is worked up about that.
Some NATO member states in Central and Jap Europe believed that three former Dutchmen had been allowed to remain. That is along with three Britons, two Belgians, a German, an Italian, a Spaniard, a Dane and a Norwegian. And, all males.
Many due to this fact believed that the time had come for a lady. Or somebody from the brand new NATO members within the east. And ideally, somebody with expertise as a head of presidency.
Mark Rutte greets supporters exterior the federal government quarters in The Hague on the identical day it was introduced that he’s taking on as NATO chief.
Photograph: ROBIN UTRECHT / AFP
It’s getting used in opposition to Rutte’s candidacy – other than the truth that he’s a person from Western Europe – that the Netherlands to date doesn’t meet the requirement of spending 2 p.c of the nation’s gross home product on protection, and most of the international locations . within the East spend far more.
Subsequently, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis despatched himself as an official candidate.
Hungary’s highly effective Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, identified that Rutte was no pal of Hungary. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan additionally expressed his objections.
Many had been due to this fact afraid {that a} mess would occur once more from Sweden.
Motion from Orban
On the finish of April, the Dutch Prime Minister went to Ankara and met with Erdogan.
And the president, who is understood to carry for a very long time if he needs to realize one thing, agreed after what he described as a “passable reply.”
At first Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan belonged to the wing of nations that will not give the inexperienced gentle to Rutte, however after talks in Istanbul in April, Erdogan stated that the nation supported Rutte’s candidacy.
Photograph: HANDOUT / AFP
In the long run, three international locations remained; Hungary and Romania, with Slovakia on the prime.
In an interview final week, Viktor Orban indicated that he may settle for Rutte, beneath the next situations:
Rutte needed to apologize for “offensive statements” earlier about Hungary and Orban, and Rutte needed to promise that Hungary doesn’t must take part in army operations in Ukraine aimed toward Russia.
Thus far, nobody is demanding, planning or making ready such a army operation from NATO. And the member states haven’t any obligation to take part in army operations exterior the territory of the Alliance.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Donald Trump have a cordial relationship. The concern in NATO circles is that Orban would prepare the brand new NATO chief till the US presidential election. In March, Orban visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
Photograph: ZOLTAN FISCHER / AFP
Outgoing Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg additionally visited Budapest this week, the place he made guarantees to Orban.
Stoltenberg assured Orban that Hungary doesn’t want to offer cash or personnel for NATO assist to Ukraine. In return, Orban promised to not block NATO’s long-term assist, which Stoltenberg needs to implement.
The election in the US
The upcoming presidential election in the US in November additionally performed a job within the background.
Present President Joe Biden stands on the identical floor that American presidents have stood on since 1949; NATO and its European allies are the spine of US safety, simply as NATO and the US are to Europe.
Rutte visited US President Joe Biden on the White Home in January. It was maybe decisive for the US to assist Rutte early on, together with Germany, France and Nice Britain.
Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP
Alternatively, Donald Trump has brought about outrage in protection circles throughout his 4 years as president, particularly together with his repeated threats to withdraw the US from the alliance.
Trump as a presidential candidate now continues the identical factor, amongst different issues saying that he doesn’t intend to guard international locations that don’t pay sufficient. He additionally solid doubt on additional assist for Ukraine within the struggle in opposition to Russia.
Outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has taken quite a lot of credit score for the truth that NATO emerged from the Trump period “unscathed.”
However it is usually stated that Rutte took his “flip”, and is taken into account one of many European leaders who dealt with Trump the perfect. It’s doubtless that he additionally performed a job within the selection of the Dutch.
With the hazard of 4 new years of chaotic safety coverage approaching, Rutte has stated that Europe should cease whining, complaining and nagging about Trump and as an alternative deal with what the continent itself can do to strengthen protection and assist Ukraine.
Jens Stoltenberg has been in control of NATO since 1 October 2014.
Solely the Norwegian Joseph Luns will probably be forward of him within the statistics when he retires on September 30, so a brand new Dutchman will succeed him.
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